Monday, October 14, 2013

Gravity of Criticism

This weekend I flocked to the theatre to watch Gravity with millions of
others. I left the theatre inspired by this work of art and immediately ran
home and pulled up my trusty film companion, Rotten Tomatoes. I dug
through reviews and listened to Slate and NPR podcasts on the movie. Reading
and listening to intelligent discussion of a movie is part of my film-going
experience.

As someone engaged in the arts community, I find that most
working in the art community approach critical reviews with fear. The
perception being that a five star review can make a show, and a one star can
break it. In reality, I have never seen a performance, movie or piece of art be
universally praised or hated. There are always champions and critics of any
work. Sure, in a crowded competitive field a review might help curate ones
options, but it's only one of many factors in someone's decision to buy a
ticket.

Gravity, for
example, is a huge hit with a 98% rating on Tomatometer. Overall critics are
saying GO SEE THIS FILM, but at the same time they are opening up a discussion
on the movies faults. Rather than blindly praising it, they are also lampooning
the hokey dialogue that keeps it from masterpiece status and poking at the
plausibility of the realistic looking world it has created. Reading these
pieces doesn't stop me from loving Gravity,
it just demonstrates that the movie is worthy of discussion. I would say it
even amplifies how tremendous the films strengths are that filmgoers can
collectively look past these faults.

What true criticism does is help you better understand the
piece. That's why I might skim a review before seeing a show, but after I see
it is when I really dig in. Good arts criticism writing makes me better
articulate what I loved about a piece or what went wrong. And when I don't
agree with a critic, it still helps fill out my understanding of the
piece. This is why I seek a variety of
opinions. In the world of film reviews, a critic that has studied film can
place a piece in context with similar works important to that field, whereas someone
reviewing from a pop culture perspective might bring a fresh insight as to why
a performance stands out in this moment.

As an arts community we need to better understand the place
of criticism in it. Critics need to be encouraged to embrace their role in
helping audiences better understand a piece and not fear giving criticism good
or bad. Most the time in Indianapolis I
can't have my Gravity experience and
dig through a variety of viewpoints of a local performance. I am lucky if I get
even one. This past month, Vanya
and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Phoenix Theatre drove almost every
critic in town to review the show. There was an understanding that this
performance was a central touch point in our Indianapolis theater season. Some
reviewers loved it, some didn't. In my review I praised it, but still found
fault with it. Regardless, it was refreshing to see a variety of viewpoints on
one show.

Despite the decline in print reviews or official news media
coverage, a savvy Indianapolis arts consumer can now seek out more arts
criticism than ever with talented bloggers filling in the gaps.

Ben chats with IMA’s artist-in-residence about introducing the process of woodblock printmaking to the masses.

About The Author

Bio:
Justin Brady is a nonprofit marketing and fundraising consultant with a passion for the arts. Justin got his start in Indy working with IndyFringe and now seeks out local theatre, film, and dance at every opportunity. He geeks out listening to pop culture podcasts and has an endless Netflix queue.